Safety-pin.



" 1 B'. BARKER.

SAFETY PIN. APPLICATION FILED MAR. 13, 1909.

Patented June 27, 1911.

UNITED STATES; PATENT @FFIQE.

BENJAMIN BARKER, OF ANN ARBOR, MICHIGAN.

SAFETY-PIN.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, BENJAMIN BARKER, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Ann Arbor, in the county of VVashtenaw and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Safety-Pins, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

The invention relates particularly to a construction of safety pin that may be readily inserted by the use of one of the op eratives hands only, leaving the other free for other purposes, this construction of pin being especially useful in pinning bandages and the like, where one hand of the operator may be used for holding the bandage in place while the actual pinning is being effected.

The invention consists primarily in the novel and simple construction of the safety pin, in the peculiar arrangement and combination of its parts, and in various details of construction as will be more fully hereinafter set forth.

In the drawings,Figure l is a view in side elevation of the pin, showing its position when being applied to the bandage or other article; Fig. 2 is a perspective view, showing the safety pin as in use; Fig. 3 is a sectional perspective view of the forward end of the pin, illustrating the means for retaining the prong in its closed position; Fig. 4c is a bottom plan view of the forward end of the pin; and Fig. 5 is a section taken on lines w-a; of Fig. 4.

In the drawings thus briefly described, I have shown the pin in its preferred form, comprising an elongated open-centered body A, a guide B at its forward end, a spring-pressed prong 0 extending longitudinally of the body at a distance above the latter and terminating at or a slight dis tance to the rear of the front end of the pin, and a keeper D for the prong point extending rearwardly from the forward end.

I preferably form the entire safety pin from a single piece of wire, bent in such manner as to form parallel side portions a and b, forming the open-centered body described, a coil 0 at the rear of the body and extending above the latter, and a prong forming a continuation of the coil, as indi-' cated. The body sides converge at the forward end of the pin and extend in an upward and forwardly inclined position, con- Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed March 13, 1909.

Patented June 27, 1911. Serial No. 483,243.

stituting an arch. The keeper D is preferably formed by a sheet of metal, as (Z, portions of which are bent about the arched section of the body, while the remainder extends rearwardly, forming a protector for the prong point. The rearwardly projecting portion of the shield or keeper has one of its marginal edges, as c, curved inwardly, as indicated in Fig. 5, forming a locking means for preventing the disengagement of the point after the proper insertion of the pin within the material. Also, this retaining section is bent upwardly, as indicated in Fig. 5, and its free edge curved as shown in Fig. 3, whereby the prong point is guided within the retainer and automatically locked by the spring of the metal.

In practice, the safety pin is first applied to the bandage in angular relation thereto, as indicated in Fig. 1, with the arched portion or end lying flat on the cloth. The prong is depressed from its normal position above the body until the point extends slightly be low the plane of the arched end. The body is then advanced, the arched portion serving as a guide, and the engagement of the prong with the material is thus effected. After the prong has been inserted through a suflicient amount of cloth, it is released and returns automatically to its initial position, the point being protected by the shield and being automatically locked therein. After the pin is in place, the keeper prevents the disengagement of the prong, as the strain upon the latter occasioned by the cloth tends to hold the prong point in con tact with the locking section of the shield. To detach the pin, the operator is merely required to shift the prong laterally out of engagement with the lock, and then move the body rearwardly.

From the foregoing description, it will be readily seen that my improved pin has all of the advantages of the ordinary safety pin, and in addition, by reason of its peculiar construction, may be both applied and disengaged by only one of the hands of the operator. d

What I claim as my invention is,

A safety pin comprising an elongated open-centered body having substantially parallel side portions terminating at their forward ends in an arched portion projecting forwardly and upwardly of the side portion, a spring-pressed point of greater length than the side portion lying normally and forming a retainer, said body portion and point being formed from a single piece of wireand shaped to form a coil at the rear of the body portion.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

BENJAMIN BARKER.

l/Vitnesses:

B. D. HAMMOND, N. NOLAN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

